Naruto: Cultivating to Immortality

Chapter 257 Orochimaru Arrives

Kakashi Hatake, having quietly left the Hyuga clan's territory, walked aimlessly through the village. His mind was filled with the words Hiashi Hyuga had spoken to him. He never imagined that even the Hyuga clan, a powerful and prestigious family in the village, would now be planning to leave Konoha at any moment.

Kakashi Hatake didn't see anything wrong with the Hyuga clan's decision, nor did he feel they had betrayed the village. After all, the village leadership could no longer tolerate their existence in Konoha, constantly pressuring them and trying to replicate the situation the Uchiha clan had faced. Any clan head responsible for their family would make this choice. Otherwise, would they wait for the village leadership to exterminate them or for them to rebel militarily?

However, Kakashi Hatake felt extremely disappointed and helpless. He had once thought Konoha was a united and harmonious place, but reality had utterly disappointed him. Now, even a powerful clan like the Hyuga was preparing to flee Konoha—what did this mean? Had Konoha truly become so vulnerable? Or had his beliefs all along been wrong?

Kakashi Hatake was filled with conflict and confusion. He didn't know how to face what was happening before him, nor what the future held. He felt as if he had been caught in an inescapable storm that was swallowing up the entire Hidden Leaf Village.

At this moment, Kakashi Hatake finally understood the Hyuga clan's helplessness and resolve. They weren't betraying the village, but rather protecting their clan's right to survival. Under these circumstances, they had no choice but to leave their homeland and seek a new place to live.

Kakashi Hatake couldn't help but think of his past. He, too, was a lonely man, having experienced countless partings and pains. However, the Hyuga clan's decision to leave at any time this time placed an unprecedented, heavy pressure on him. Perhaps, this was the price of awakening!

As a ninja who loves his village, Kakashi Hatake is truly lost now. He's just a simple Jonin of Konoha, with no ability to change the village's current situation. He can only watch helplessly as the village sinks into an abyss.

"Perhaps Tsunade and Jiraiya saw the state of Konoha back then, but were powerless to change it, which is why they chose to leave!" Kakashi Hatake murmured to himself, his face pale. His eyes revealed a deep sense of helplessness and sorrow, as if he felt an immense weight on everything that had happened in the past.

Kakashi Hatake now seems to understand why his father, Sakumo Hatake, chose suicide. As someone who valued the village more than his own life, he would never choose to betray Konoha like Orochimaru. So, suicide was the only path left for him to choose.

He reminisced about the past, remembering his companions who had grown up alongside him. They had fought and struggled together, but now they were scattered. Kakashi Hatake couldn't help but wonder if they could have changed everything if they had been stronger back then. However, reality was so cruel, and there was no escaping it.

He sighed deeply, a sense of powerlessness welling up inside him. Faced with the current predicament of Konoha Village, he felt seemingly powerless to help. He knew he bore a heavy responsibility, yet he also felt his strength was far too insignificant. This conflicting feeling weighed heavily on him, even causing him to doubt whether he could truly protect the village.

Kakashi Hatake gazed silently into the distance, a hint of confusion flashing in his eyes. He didn't know what the future held, nor how to move forward. But he knew that no matter how many difficulties and challenges lay ahead, he had to persevere, for this was his mission, and the foundation of his beliefs.

As the sun set, its afterglow bathed Kakashi Hatake, elongating his shadow. At that moment, the world fell eerily quiet, with only his long shadow accompanying him, making the scene all the more desolate.

Meanwhile, an uninvited guest arrived at Hyuga Kanan's training ground.

A tall, thin man with pale skin and cold red eyes. Dressed in black with red lines, he exudes a mysterious and terrifying aura. His long hair often obscures his face, adding to his enigmatic presence. His face bears distinctive markings, making him both frightening and charismatic; his appearance and personality reveal his evil and power.

This person was none other than Orochimaru, whom we hadn't seen for many years.

Orochimaru, holding a token, passed directly through the barrier and headed towards Hyuga Kanan's palace at the mountain peak. However, he was quickly intercepted by several young members of the Hyuga clan along the way.

At this moment, several young members of the Hyuga clan were watching Orochimaru with wary expressions. After all, neither his appearance nor his aura suggested he was a kind person. Moreover, their Byakugan could detect that his chakra was abundant and powerful, indicating he was definitely not a simple or weak individual.

Hyuga Hizashi quickly arrived from the mountaintop. He had received news that the training grounds had been invaded by a very powerful ninja, who was still advancing towards the summit. He knew very well that Hyuga Kanan had set up multiple layers of barriers around the training grounds, including numerous sealing techniques and strange formations. Even a Kage-level ninja wouldn't be able to discover this location, let alone infiltrate it. The fact that he received news of an intrusion today puzzled him.

When Hyuga Hizashi saw who had arrived, he showed a hint of surprise. As a key member of the Hyuga clan's branch family who had been dispatched to Konoha on missions, he naturally recognized the infamous Orochimaru, the cold-blooded ninja. However, he never expected that the other party could enter this place, and a strong sense of vigilance arose in his heart.

Orochimaru is a rogue ninja of Konoha, having defected after being discovered capturing villagers for human experimentation. Furthermore, he was already a Kage-level ninja many years ago, and among the stronger Kage-level fighters. With my current strength, I'm not even sure I can defeat him.

Hyuga Hizashi stared intently at Orochimaru, a hint of wariness flashing in his eyes. He gripped his weapon tightly, seemingly ready to attack at any moment. The other members of the Hyuga clan all turned their gazes to Hyuga Hizashi, awaiting his instructions.

Hyuga Hizashi took a deep breath and said in a low voice, "I don't know why Orochimaru-senpai is here. This is our Hyuga clan's territory. Shouldn't you give us a reasonable explanation for your abrupt intrusion?"

Despite facing such a powerful enemy, Hyuga Hizashi remained calm and composed. His neither servile nor arrogant attitude was truly admirable. After all, this was the homeland of the Hyuga clan, and they had their own pride and dignity. Moreover, this was Hyuga Kanan's territory, and as a top-tier powerhouse, even Orochimaru would find it difficult to cause much trouble on this land.

Orochimaru naturally sensed the wariness of the Hyuga clan members around him, but he didn't care. With his strength, he had no need to worry about the threat posed by these ordinary ninjas. However, when he saw Hyuga Hizashi appear and display his powerful aura, a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes.

"As expected of members of the Hyuga clan who live here, everyone is exceptionally strong. Especially Hyuga Hizashi, his strength even made me feel a sense of pressure," Orochimaru thought to himself.

“Don’t be nervous, Kanan-kun and I are good friends,” Orochimaru explained with a smile. Then, he took out a token from his robes and waved it at Hyuga Hizashi, displaying the inscription on it. It was a special token that only those recognized by Hyuga Kanan could possess, signifying a special relationship between the holder and Hyuga Kanan.

Hyuga Hizashi's guard immediately relaxed upon seeing the token in Orochimaru's hand. He knew very well that whoever possessed the token could freely enter and leave this training ground. It also symbolized friendship, not enmity. Regardless of Orochimaru's current status as a Konoha rogue ninja, the possession of this token proved that he was Hyuga Kanan's friend.

“Since Orochimaru-senpai has the token, he must be a friend of the Hyuga clan. So please come up the mountain!” Hyuga Hizashi had no time to worry. Since Hyuga Kanan had given Orochimaru the token, it meant that Hyuga Kanan recognized Orochimaru’s identity and there was no need to worry about his safety.

The young Hyuga clan members, who had been on guard, lowered their guard. They were no longer part of the Konoha ninja ranks, nor did they care whether the other party was a Konoha rogue ninja. Their only identity now was that of simple Hyuga clan members, and they were not required to serve Konoha.

Along the way, Orochimaru began chatting with Hyuga Hizashi. He was quite curious about the large number of Hyuga clan members present. When he first came here, only Hyuga Kanan lived there; no one else did.

Hyuga Hizashi had no intention of hiding anything, since Orochimaru could easily investigate the matter thoroughly by spending some time in Konoha. Furthermore, since the other party was a friend acknowledged by Hyuga Kanan, there was even less reason to conceal anything.

Hyuga Hizashi began by explaining why the Hyuga clan members had come to live here. After all, the Hyuga clan was in a precarious situation in Konoha, constantly on the verge of armed conflict. He also explained that this place was to ensure the Hyuga clan's lineage would not be severed.

Orochimaru frowned slightly. He never imagined that Hiruzen Sarutobi had reached this point. Even the Hyuga clan, a family that rarely fought or competed within Konoha, couldn't tolerate it. Indeed, Konoha would eventually be destroyed by Hiruzen Sarutobi and other Konoha leaders; therefore, his plan had to be implemented as soon as possible.